Related Experiment Videos
[Ambulatory 24-hour home pH-metry: parental and familial reactions. Prospective study of 100 cases]
M Duché1, E Fournier-Charrière, B Ducot
1Département de pédiatrie, hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
Insights
The 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring test for gastro-esophageal reflux in children is generally well-accepted by families, despite causing some anxiety. Most parents prefer this home-based diagnostic procedure for its value.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Diagnostic Procedures
- Reflux Monitoring
Context:
- Ambulatory 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring is a common diagnostic tool for gastro-esophageal reflux in children.
- Understanding the impact of this test on a child's and family's daily life is crucial for patient care.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the impact of the 24-hour ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring test on the daily lives of children and their families.
- To assess parental understanding, child's reactions, and overall family experience with the pH monitoring procedure.
Summary:
- The study included 100 children, assessing parental concerns, child's reactions, and household adjustments during and after the pH monitoring test.
- Results showed that while initial parental anxiety was present, the test was generally well-tolerated, with 80.8% of families reporting no change in routine daily life.
- A high percentage of parents (91.9%) preferred the test as a home procedure, highlighting its diagnostic value and non-aggressive nature.
Impact:
- The findings suggest that the 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring test, despite potential for temporary discomfort and anxiety, is a generally well-accepted and valuable home-based diagnostic procedure for pediatric gastro-esophageal reflux.
- This information can help healthcare providers better prepare families for the test, manage expectations, and alleviate concerns, ultimately improving the patient experience.
Background:
The ambulatory twenty-four hour esophageal pHmetry is nowadays a common mode of assessment of gastro-esophageal reflux in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the test on child and family's ordinary daily life.
Material And Methods:
One-hundred children (64 boys, 36 girls) were included in this study during a 10-month period from August 1992 until May 1993. Mean age was 2 years 9 months (range: 22 days--12 years). Forms with a list of questions concerning parental understanding of the test, child's reaction after introduction of the pH-electrode, general reactions in the household, and eventual disturbance of the child's temper and appetite, were given to the parents. Six months later, 81 families were contacted by telephone and asked the same questions. Children were divided into three groups: those under 1 year of age (n = 38), from 1 to 4 years (n = 35), and more than 4 years (n = 27).
Results:
One child aged 2 months had to be admitted to hospital due to the mother's overanxiety. The majority of parents (80%) assumed they knew about the principles of the test, with little change once the test was over. Those whose child had previously been submitted to the test were less apprehensive. When the test was first initiated, 81% of parents feared it would cause some discomfort, either due to pain (69%), or to poor acceptance at home (25%) with the risk of having the catheter accidently removed. Once the catheter had been positioned with the parents close to the child at that time, its presence was judged by them tolerable in 88.9% of cases. Once at home, 84.8% of the parents were not worried, as the child was calm (83.8%) and also due to the possibility for them to get in touch with the physician if necessary (86.9%). No change in routine daily life was reported by 80.8% of the families; in only 19.2% was the child reported to be overwhelmed with the test. When asked if the test should be undertaken another time, 91.9% would still prefer it as a home procedure, the only families requesting it be done in hospital being those with a history of sudden death syndrome.
Conclusion:
pHmetry test as a 24-hour procedure done at home may be the source of some discomfort and anxiety both to the child and parents; yet it appears to be generally well-accepted, both for its non-aggressive and diagnostic value.